I know that they've done this with IAD-AMS and was wondering if they will do the same on the Boston route. It would be nice if they did, KLM service is far superior to NW and I love the way their planes look. I'm getting kind of tired of the NW DC10's. (no offense to any NW or DC10 fans out there).

BOS is one of NW's stronger markets, so I can't imagine them giving up the route to KL -- especially if they choose to fly the A333 from DTW-BOS-AMS (etc.) to increase its utilization.

KL's service is hardly superior to NW's. IFE is better on NW, meals are identical on both carriers… I believe BOS-AMS is operated by a DTW-based crew, so within several months the route will be operated by an A333 – NW will have 34” pitch & laptop ports in the first half of the Economy cabin + PTVs with on demand video at every seat – KL will have 31” pitch on their B777 and A332. As long as Sophie (the worst FA in the industry) works for KL, you’ll have a hard time convincing me KLFA are better than NW’s…

The only reason KLM took our IAD flight was because of a scheduling request due to their crew on the MEMAMS flight. So we just switched. KL took Dulles and we took MEM. Occasionally we do switch out ie...EWRAMS or JFKAMS or DTWAMS (1 flight during summer) , but most routes will stay either NW or KLM

At least we will still see NW widebodies out of BOS, including the A333. Very exciting news. Maybe once NW/CO/KL join SkyTeam (I think they will) we might see a daily KLM flight into BOS on the 763 to complement NWs, due to the BOS mini-hub for DL.

Nice to see KLM down here in Washington. Is KLM going to use 763s only? Is NW switching back sometime? It would be nice to see the A333s in here if they do switch back... those DC-10s can't last forever.

As correctly stated, NW and KLM share revenues so the allocation of which airlines flies which route is more a scheduling and equipment decision that a financial decision. In recent years, MIA went from NW to KL, MEM from KL to NW, IAD is now with KL.......sometimes KL flies a Detroit flight or two, other years AMS-DTW is all NW.

A few years ago NW flew JFK-AMS (the KL 641 service) with a 744 - it made sense to the scheduling as NW also flies JFK-NRT with a 744. The Dutch public was outraged at this decision, KL 641 is considered the premier transatlantic flight at KLM, as NYC was KL's first transatlantic destination....how could KL let NW operate this flight? Sometimes there is a human element to such decisions.

While I am all for KLM increasing its East Coast presence, I am not too keen on BOS. It would be nice, but for someone like me who flies to MCO, it is not appealing. I try to stick with KL when I fly as I prefer the crew and entertainment to NW's, not that NW has anything wrong with its crew, they are great as well. It just so happens that I find that the KLM crew's seem to add a human touch to the service, something that I don't feel NW's crews have on the International runs. I would prefer it if KLM took over one of the DTW/MSP flights rather than BOS. Then I would not need to fly through IAH to get to MCO on KL.

IndustrialPate,

"IFE is better on NW"
You sure you don't have this backwards? I find KLM's entertainment in WBC to be a 100 times better than NW's.

Sophie? Can I ask what happened with her? I have not heard the story. If you wish you can just tell me about it in my trip report post.

I wish they did, wherever I am in the world I feel honoured to see those blue outfits in a terminal. And since there new 332's and 772's will have the latest inflight entertainment technology, I doubt NW will do better